How fifth-tier Tamworth plan to cause an FA Cup giant-killing against Tottenham – and the surprise that awaits for Son and Co, writes MATT BARLOW

Inside the Lamb, they were thinking about giving the away dressing room a fresh lick of paint. Just to smarten the place up for their illustrious FA Cup visitors from Tottenham Hotspur and a live television broadcast.

Not that there is anything wrong with Tamworth’s home for the last 91 years. It has all the homespun charm and tidy intimacy you would expect of an upwardly mobile amateur club, but they have risen quickly to the fifth tier after back-to-back promotions and cannot boast the luxury to which Spurs are accustomed in the Premier League.

‘It’s literally Portakabins,’ says centre back Haydn Hollis and his smile indicates he is fully aware that if the part-timers of Tamworth in the National League are to cause any problems for a team 95 places higher in the footballing pyramid, then these sorts of things are going to help.

‘There’s no central heating in the home or away changing rooms. It’s freezing, there’s a little heater between 20 lads. The pitch is terrible, not like one of those grass pitches where teams can pop you off the park. The fans are right on top of you. It’s not what they’re used to and that is a test of their professionalism and mentality.’

Captain Ben Milnes admits that the showers are not up to much, either. ‘It’s not the power shower they’ll be used to,’ he says. ‘I’m guessing only a few showers will work in the away dressing room because only a few work in the home one.’

The prospect of James Maddison and Son Heung-min shivering inside a cramped, windowless cabin makes this the tie of the round for FA Cup romantics. Mighty Tottenham, eight times winners of the trophy, descending on a Staffordshire town hitherto famous for a couple of escaped pigs and Spud Man, a social media sensation selling jacket potatoes.

But the FA Cup minnows are hoping that the unsettling surroundings hand them the advantage

That in essence is what the competition is about, threading English football together from top to bottom from the preliminary qualifiers to the final at Wembley Stadium and producing once-in-a-lifetime occasions like this on the way.

It has the power to transform Tamworth, just as it did eighth-tier Marine in 2021 when an FA Cup tie against Spurs brought an £800,000 windfall enabling major improvements, including new clubhouse facilities and an artificial pitch.

Crowds at Marine have increased almost four-fold in the years since and two promotions have taken them into the National League North. More than 2,000 watched them playing at home to Chester on Boxing Day.

Tamworth already have the 3G pitch, giving the tie a good chance of beating the freeze although it is old and showing signs of its age. ‘A massive leveller,’ according to Hollis. ‘It’s tight, narrow. We know it better than anybody, there has to be a knack to playing on it.’

There’s a slope and long throws come hurtling into the penalty area from all angles courtesy of Tom Tonks. The joke among Tamworth’s players is that they convinced manager Andy Peaks to sign midfielder Tonks from Rushall Olympic because they couldn’t figure out how to defend against them.

‘It’s a weapon and we’d be stupid not to use it,’ said keeper Jas Singh. ‘Whoever is in goal for them, I’m not sure it will be something they’ve had to deal with.

‘Keepers come here and warm up, trying to emulate it, but it’s just not the same with the trajectory of the ball and all the bodies around you, it’s crazy.’ The crowd will be closely packed on to six steps of terracing around three sides of the pitch, with the most vociferous usually clamouring behind the away team dugout, where they will enjoy sharing their thoughts with Ange Postecoglou.

‘You hear all sorts,’ says Singh. ‘The individual voices take you by surprise. The best one was that I was the absolute spit of Rishi Sunak. I started getting that quite a lot when he was Prime Minister. I’m a fair bit taller and I haven’t got the same money.’

Peaks – who is set to become a full-time manager next month – is hopeful of a giant-killing

After sharpening up their squad three years ago, Peaks has led the side through the choppy waters of surviving relegation and winning promotion

Despite working part-time Peaks has already embarrassed FA Cup opponents like Huddersfield

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou will be eager to avoid a banana skin of epic proportions

Tamworth have been on a surge since raiding Rushden and Diamonds for Peaks three years ago. The manager started by saving them from relegation, then clinched promotion to the National League North and won it at the first attempt against all odds.

The success has been defined by Dan Creaney’s goals, Singh’s record 10 clean sheets in a row last season, squad unity and a fighting spirit now helping them compete as part-timers in a full-time division packed with former Football League clubs. In the FA Cup, they have already embarrassed Huddersfield and Burton of League One.

‘We went to Barnet this season,’ says Peaks. ‘In the office there, they’ve got eight different TVs around the room. They’ve been doing analysis on us all week, looking at what we do and how to counter it.

‘I come in on a Monday to spend time on stuff like that and put it to our two coaches so they can set something up for when we train for an hour-and-a-half on Thursday, based on who we’re playing and how we counteract them playing to our strengths.’

The cup run means Peaks will become full-time manager next month, leaving his Tuesday to Friday job as a support worker for children with learning difficulties at Tresham College in Kettering.

The club have rewarded him with a two-and-a-half year full-time contract. However, his players remain part-time.

There is a brickie and a zip salesman. Milnes is a financial advisor and Hollis, after a long professional career which began at Notts County, has taken a job coaching at Chesterfield’s academy and dialled his football down to part-time status.

Singh is a building surveyor so when they played midweek at Rochdale, he booked a survey at Crewe where he was on site until 4pm, then jumped in his car and drove to the game, played and drove home to Birmingham. Milnes missed the game to attend a training course.

Goalkeeper Jas Singh is a building surveyor who worked until 4pm on the day of a midweek tie

Captain Ben Milnes, a financial advisor, has had to miss games due to work commitments

Devising a schedule for the part-time players competing in a league featuring fallen Football League sides can prove a challenge

Among the rewards for promotion to the National League, though, is extra comfort on the road by way of an upgrade to a team bus with tables and a kitchen.

‘The gaffer knows our main job is where we get paid the most so that takes priority,’ says Milnes. ‘It can be difficult, but he creates a good balance between being professional and making sure football is enjoyable, because we work all day and want that release.

‘Days like these are the rewards. We might not get an opportunity like this again. We’ve got to make the most of it and enjoy it.’

After beating Burton on penalties in the second round, Tamworth’s players went into Birmingham for a festive night out, so declined the chance to join fans inside the Lamb’s clubhouse to watch the third round drawn live on TV.

‘Tottenham came out and I found myself getting up off my sofa and screaming, “Yes, come on”,’ says Singh. ‘Then it dawned on me that it might not be as great as I thought it could be. You watch them play thinking, “Yeah, we can get at these”, and then at the same time you’re thinking, “Oh, bloody hell”.’

Matt Curley and Alex Fletcher are the Spurs fans in the Tamworth camp. Chris Wreh is son of Arsenal FA Cup hero Christopher Wreh, scorer of the only goal in a semi-final against Wolves on the way to winning the Double in 1998.

Peaks, whose step-daughter and best mate are staunch Spurs fans, and who refers to his father-in-law as ‘Tottenham Dave’, joined the BBC’s live broadcast for the third-round draw made by Mark Hughes and Dion Dublin.

‘I’d had a laugh with Dion because he came to the Huddersfield game,’ says the Tamworth boss. ‘He was on about pulling us a good one. When it came out he was punching the air off screen as if to say, “I’ve done well for you there”. Now I’m badgering him for Oasis tickets.’

TAMWORTH’S SECRET WEAPON 

Tamworth need a superhero and the man they call Bapman may fit the bill.

Tom Tonks runs his own sandwich business – hence the nickname — and is blessed with the most outrageous of long throws.

The midfielder needs no second invitation to hurl the ball into the danger area and, given he has hit the six-yard box from the halfway line, Spurs’ shaky defence better brace itself.

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The dressing room that Tottenham will be treated to on Sunday will be decidedly more low-key than what they are used to

As part of his scouting duties, Peaks has seen Spurs beaten 6-3 by Liverpool and draw against Wolves.

‘First of all, we’re interested in the line-up they’ll bring,’ says Singh. ‘Their Under-21s should beat us really, but you never know with the magic of the Cup.’

Four thousand will pack into the Lamb keen to see who Postecoglou brings with him.

After his assured debut against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, Antonin Kinsky will be starting in goal, while Maddison, Pape Sarr, Brennan Johnson, Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner are all expected to be named in the Spurs starting line-up.

‘At home, we’ve got a chance,’ says Hollis. ‘Hand on heart, I genuinely mean it, no matter who they bring, we can give anyone a game here.

‘We just need to stay in it as long as we can. Nil-nil at half-time and we’ve got a chance because we’ll create chances against anyone. This place will be packed, rocking.

‘If they’re professional, do everything right, then we’re in for a long day, but any slight doubt in their head or if they come in moaning because the changing rooms are rubbish, then it’s a little head start for us.’

The Lamb, packed to its capacity of just over 4,000, will play its part.

Some of the stars who Tamworth fans could watch include new goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky (left) and England international James Maddison

The Lamb’s capacity of 4,000 is likely to be groaning when the Premier League comes to town

But Peaks is looking forward to making the visitors squirm at a ‘horrible place for them to be for 90 minutes’

‘We’ve got to use those advantages,’ says Peaks. ‘Our pitch, our facilities, we’ve got to try and make it in our favour.

‘We’ve got to stop them creating all the chances they usually do. I’m not sure what team they’ll bring, but we know how they’ll try to play.

‘We’ll be respectful, but we’ve got to make this a horrible place for them to be for 90 minutes.

‘Give it our best shot. Work hard. Stick together. Try to compete, I don’t have players who don’t try.

Set up our set-pieces. Use the long throw.

‘If they are too good for us, which they should be, so be it. But there will be a shock somewhere in the FA Cup.

‘We’ve got to try our best to make it here at the Lamb. What a shock that would be.’